Poll: Public unions a hard sell

By BEN SMITH

02/18/2011 12:42 PM EST

A new poll from the Washington-based Clarus Group asked:

Do you think government employees should be represented by labor unions that bargain for higher pay, benefits and pensions ... or do you think government employees should not be represented by labor unions?

A full 64% of the respondents said "no."

That includes 42% of Democrats, and an overwhelming majority of Republicans. Only 49% of Democrats think public workers should be in unions at all.

That's on the fundamental right to organize, before you get to wages and benefits. And that puts Scott Walker in a pretty good political place.

(According to the release, this was a national survey of 1,001 registered voters. One note: Clarus is a division of the global corporate public relations giant Qorvis, not exactly a labor bastion.)